Rotary mixing damper method and means

ABSTRACT

An improved air stabilization system and method used in a refrigerator of a meat packing plant or the like. The improvement comprises positioning rotatably a single mixing damper blade within a damper blade housing such as to regulate the air flow through air openings within the housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This is a continuation-in-part patent application of my copending patent application having Ser. No. 381,557 and filed on May 24, 1982 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,113.

1. Field of the Invention

This invention provides an improved air stabilization system and method. More specifically, this invention contemplates an improved air stabilization system and method for a meat packing plant.

2. Description of the Prior Art

U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,665 by Martin illustrates a ventilation system. U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,537 by Harty, Jr. discloses an air distribution unit including a paddle that serves as an apportioner for air in the system. U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,395 by Courchesne discloses a damper in a window type air conditioning unit that serves to proportion air. My copending patent application teaches a novel improved air stabilization system for use in a building. None of the foregoing prior art teaches or suggests the particular improved air stabilization system and method of this invention, which is utilized in a refrigerator of a meat packing plant or the like, and offers to the industry a substitute or replacement for the common and more complex prior art face and bypass damper arrangement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention accomplishes its desired objects by providing an improved air stabilization system for refrigerator of a meat packing plant and which has an air propulsion means for delivering and/or intaking air through a plurality of openings in a housing having a damper assembly. The improvement includes rotatably positioning within the housing a single mixing damper blade means such as to regulate the air flow through the openings of the housing to allow either intake of ambient air to exhaust air from the refrigerator or to blend air from the refrigerator with outside ambient air or to circulate only refrigerator air by completely closing off any intake of ambient air and exhaust of refrigerator air.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel improved air stabilization system and method.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the provision of an air stabilization system having one moving part with little pressure drop, and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this invention, preferred embodiments being shown in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the invention:

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken in direction of the arrows and along the plane of line 3--3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial horizontal sectional view taken in direction of the arrows and along the plane of line 4--4 in FIG. 1 in order to illustrate a top plan view of the nozzle sprayers:

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken in direction of the arrows and along the plane of line 5--5 in FIG. 3:

FIG. 6 is the single mixing wedge damper blade assembly in the full air return setting to only circulate air that is already within the refrigerator;

FIG. 7 is the single mixing wedge damper blade assembly in the intermediate setting in order to exhaust some refrigerator air and return the remaining refrigerator air to admix with some cooler atmospheric air;

FIG. 8 is the single mixing wedge damper blade assembly in the full air exhaust setting to completely exhaust warm refrigerator air and replace the same with cooler air drawn in from the outside;

FIG. 9 is a single damper blade with an arcuate section integrally bound thereto and in the full air return setting;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the single damper blade assembly air stabilization system diagram for a refrigerator of a meat packing plant, or the like.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of the modugate control circuit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring in detail now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, and in particular to FIG. 10, there is seen the improved air stabilization system used in a refrigerator of a meat packing plant, or the like. The refrigerator ventilation system (see FIG. 10) comprises the improved air stabilization system, generally illustrated as 10, and a modulating thermostat 12 to control air stabilization system 10; and a humidistat 14 to control the amount of moisture placed in the air prior to being circulated back into the refrigerator, generally illustrated as 16, having carcasses 18 of cows, or the like, hung on hooks 20 attached slidably to rod 22. A fan 34 sucks air from the refrigerator 16 and discharges the same into the improved air stabilization system 10.

The control circuit (see FIG. 11) includes a high pressure gauge 34, a regulator 36 (set to 20 psi max), a low pressure gauge 38, and a filter 40. A dryer 42 (1/4 NPT IN/OUT) is preferably included, especially for winter conditions. Bypass line 44 is optional. Pneumatic thermostat 12 (5/32 IN/OUT) inter-engages to a pilot actuator control box 46 mounted on one of the modugate actuators 48--48 and includes ports marked S (Supply), 0 (Output), and P (Port). Thermostat 0 port is tubed to P port on the actuator control box 46. Supply air (20 psi max) is tubed to S port on the actuator control box 46. 0 port on the box 46 is tubed to the actuators 48--48. If the control box 46 is in the outside atmosphere, it must be covered and insulated, depending on the climate.

The improved air stabilization system 10 has a cabinet 50 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) with plates 52 and plates 54--54. Air intake channel opening 56 and air exhaust channel opening 58 are provided for the intake of atmospheric air and the exhaust of refrigerator air, respectively, from and to a modugate chamber 59.

A simple modugate damper 60 is pivotally connected within the chamber 59 in proximity to channel openings 56 and 58 to regulate the air flow through the channel openings 56 and 58 to allow either intake of ambient air to exhaust air from the refrigerator 16 or to blend air from the refrigerator 16 with outside air to circulate only refrigerator air by completely closing off any intake of ambient air and exhaust of refrigerator air. Modugate damper 60 is pneumatically activated by pneumatic assembly 61 which is operated by thermostat 12. Chamber 59 also includes a refrigerator air inlet opening 62 and a refrigerator air outlet opening 64. The limits of rotation of the single damper blade 60 within the chamber 59 are set by protrusion members 66 and 68. Member 66 is attached to the top of the outlet opening 64 and member 68 is secured in proximity to the bottom of the inlet opening 62.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention (see FIGS. 3,6,7,8) modugate damper 60 comprises a modified wedge having one end 70 defining an arcuate shape and opposed end 72 tapering to an edge. In another preferred embodiment of the invention (see FIG. 9) the modugate damper 60 includes a damper blade 74 and an approximately 60° arc section 76 integrally bound to the blade 74 such that the blade 74 rotates about 60° within the chamber 59. Blade 74 has preferably two sections, with each section having an axis. The axis of each section has an angle, with respect to each other, greater than about 90° but less than about 180°.

Air stabilization system 10 additionally comprises a spray chamber means, generally illustrated as 78, and a fan means, generally illustrated as 80, in communication with the spray chamber means 78 for circulating air from the chamber means 78 into the refrigerator 16.

Spray chamber means 78 is controlled by humidistat 14 and includes a pair of spray banks 82--82: a sump 84 positioned in the bottom of chamber means 78 for catching and holding water that is sprayed from banks 82--82; and an eliminator 86 having a cross section defining a chevron (see FIG. 4). A water pump (not shown in the drawings) actuates spray banks 82--82 per humidistat 14.

Fan means 80 includes an air foil type fan 88 operated by a motor 90.

With continuing reference to the drawings for operation of the invention, refrigerator air is delivered from the refrigerator 16 through air inlet opening 62 by filter fan 34 under sufficient positive pressure to either vent all or a portion of the refrigerator air through the unrestricted exhaust opening 58, or all or a portion of the refrigerator air through outlet opening 64 and into the spray chamber means 78, depending on the position of the single damper blade 60. FIGS. 3 and 8 illustrate the single damper blade 60 in a full air exhaust setting wherein warm refrigerator air is completely exhausted through exhaust opening 58 by fan 34 while simultaneously cooler air is drawn in from th outside through opening 56 by fan means 80. FIGS. 6 and 9 illustrate the single damper blade 60 in a full air return setting wherein no refrigerator air is exhausted through exhaust opening 58 and no cooler air is drawn in from the outside through opening 56; only refrigerator air is circulated from fan 34 through the spray chamber means 78 and back into the refrigerator 16 by fan means 80. In the preferred (and most frequent) intermediate setting (see FIG. 7) some refrigerator air is exhausted through exhaust opening 58 and the remainder is passed around tapered end 72 to be admixed with the oustide air prior to being passed into the spray chamber means 78 to be humidified. The The position of the damper blade 60 depends on the amount of heat needed in the air. If more heat is needed, the tapered end 72 (or blade 74) will move (thermostaticaly controlled by thermostat 12) to recycle more warm refrigerator air, while the arcuate shaped end 70 (or arc section 76) moves to reduce the intake of outdoor air, resulting in a warmer mixture. If less heat is needed to satisfy the thermostat 12, the tapered end 72 will move in the opposite direction which will open the arcuate shaped end 70 (e.g. to 60% open) to increase the intake of outdoor air and close the tapered end 72 (e.g. to 40% closed) to recycle less warm refrigerator air. Thus, the resulting mixture of air will be 40% recycle and 60% exhaust. Thus, the air volume from outdoors is matched by the volume exhausted outdoors. This maintains constant pressure in the refrigerator 16, while the temperature and the total air through put (through chamber means 78) also remains constant. Utilization of the single blade damper means 60 with spray chamber 78 is not mandatory: it may be used independently of the spray chamber 78 where humidity control is not essential.

While the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modifications, various changes, and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure, and it will be appreciated that in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. 

I claim:
 1. In an improved air stabilization system used in a ventilation system of a refrigerator and which has an air propulsion means for delivering and intaking air through a plurality of openings in a housing having a damper assembly, wherein the improvement comprises a single mixing damper blade means rotatably positioned within the housing such as to regulate the air flow through the openings of the housing; said housing additionally includes a plurality of protrusion members secured to the inside thereof in order to define the limits of rotation of the single damper blade means within the housing; the openings of said housing comprises an ambient air intake opening, an ambient exhaust opening, a refrigeration air inlet opening and an outlet opening; said plurality of protrusion members comprises an outlet protrusion member attached in proximity to the top of said outlet opening and an inlet protrusion member secured in proximity to the bottom of said refrigeration air inlet opening; a spray chamber means in communication with said outlet opening of said housing, said spray chamber means comprises a sump means positioned within the bottom thereof, a spray bank means, and an eliminator means having a cross section defining a chevron; a fan means in communication with the spray chamber means for circulating air from the chamber means into the refrigerator; said damper blade means comprises two sections connected at an intermediate pivot point, one section being of a modified wedge shape having an arcuate distal end and the other section being of a trianglar shape having a distal end tapering to an edge, one section and said other section having an angle with respect to each other of greater than about 90° but less than about 180°. 